Against All Odds

First Impressions (Cato)

A/N If you didn't know already, this will be written in Cato's POV because I felt like telling the story from a guy's POV for a change :) This starts right after he and Clove volunteer at the district 2 reaping ceremony.

After the reapings, Clove & I make bets on which district will have the weakest tributes, and which districts will have the ugliest costumes for the opening ceremony. "I think 12 is going to be wiped out in the blood bath this year, both tributes," I say, smirking. "And I also think they'll be dressed as coal miners again, as usual."

"Yeah, either 12 or maybe 11. The tributes from 12 will be coal miners if they're lucky! If they aren't... They might just be naked and covered in black coal dust. Depends if their stylist is focusing more on the "miner" part or the "coal" part," Clove agrees, gleefully rubbing her hands together. No doubt, she's probably plotting the death scenarios of her future victims. Not that I'm not guilty of doing the same, though.

We laugh and joke thoughout the beginning of the train ride. Then, Brutus comes in and tells us that the district 12 reapings were just finished, so we could watch them all to study what we were up against.

"Can't wait to see who's gonna be our first target!" I grin. Clove just smirks back as she turns on the screens. I take a quick drink from the glass of sparkling water on the table next to us. We play the reaping, starting from district 2 because we've already seen district 1's tributes, and we have mutually agreed that they won't provide much of a threat. Nothing particularly interesting, just a sly looking red head from 5 who most likely can't fight for shit, a cripple from 10 who will definitely die in the blood bath, and some other tributes.

Then, it reaches the last two districts, who Clove and I have already decided will most likely be useless. The girl from 11 looks a bit like a bird, and she's so young, I almost feel bad for her. Almost. Her district partner, though, is HUGE. But not stronger than me, and probably slightly smaller. Broad shouldered and tall, Clove and I exchange looks, agreeing that he needs to be taken care of.

Could we invite him into our career group?

Yes.

Do I want to?

No.

Lanky Marvel and Sparkly Glitter (District 1) would probably be able to finish him off.

Then, it's district 12. Their escort, what was her name again, Ellie Tinker? calls out a name, and I hear mutterings as a young, petite blonde girl who looks scared out of her wits starts walking up.

Another easy kill, I think as I start to take another drink of water. It's almost painful how much she reminds me of- No, Cato. Don't think about home. Keep your focus on the games. 

Suddenly, a strong voice says, "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!". In my shock, I choke, and the water sprays out of my mouth and across the room. Clove, who manages to keep her surprise decently veiled, gives me a reprimanding look. I just shrug, and say, "This is an important moment in history, District 12 NEVER has any volunteers!"

Clove groans and says, "Well they really don't need to start this year, the year that I'm in the games, do they?"

This makes me scoff.

"What are you worried about?" I roll my eyes, "We can take them easy, she may have volunteered, but that doesn't mean that she's going to live to tell the tale to her offspring. In fact, she won't live because we'll kill her. If you don't have the guts to, then I'll do it myself!"

This makes Clove scowl, because she hates it when people say she doesn't have the guts to do something.

"It's not that I don't have the guts to do it! But is it just me, or do you think there's something... I don't know, special, about her?" Clove asks me, as she watches the screen though narrowed eyes.

They're drawing the male tribute now. I look up and observe the girl who volunteered carefully, wanting to scout out some weakness, or 'special-ness'. She has brown hair, that seems to be neatly braided, and a thin build. However, what really captures me is her eyes. She had intense, stormy grey eyes, that seem to have hidden secrets and a sort of... fire residing in them. The second I lay my eyes on her, I know what Clove meant by 'special'. She radiates a sort of energy that makes you want to look at her and never look away. Woah, where did that come from?

Shut up, I tell myself sternly. She's just a low-class coal miner girl, nothing special. Pretty, but not as pretty as the girls in district one, or even the girls back home for that matter. She's skinny as a stick, not curvy. Her hair is simply braided. It doesn't glow or shine like the hair of the girls back home, although that may be from the lack of hair products she probably suffers.

Nothing special, I repeat to myself.

I just laugh, and say,"Yeah, maybe she's pretty hot, but too bad, since she's going to die in a few weeks, right?"

Clove laughs as well, and says,"Of course, Cato! I was just kidding about the whole "special" thing, you know that right?"'

I manage to brush it off by saying, "Yeah I know, I was just kidding too, of course she isn't special, she's just a coal miner from 12! And a slum rat from the Seam. You'd have to be blind to think that she's even remotely worth looking at!"

Yes, I tell myself. Cato, that's what you really think. You only thought she was worth looking at a second ago because she volunteered, and you were studying the enemy. Just like you were trained to.

Yes, she's just a seam rat from 12. Nothing special at all.